Central European Journal of Communication

ABSTRACT: This article maps the practice of paid news in Central and Eastern Europe using a review of previous research and a set of explanatory semi-structured interviews with journalists and PR practitioners across 10 post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe (N= 164). Paid news refers to the practice of journalists and/or news organizations taking money (often offered through the intermediary of a PR professional or PR company) to write puff pieces for business or political interests without indicating that the content is in a fact paid for, i.e. a form of corruption of both journalism and PR. This presentantion suggests that the existance of the practise is to a great extent systemic, as both journalists and the PR professionals are part of common “culture corruption” and thus the continued existence of the practice is also a de-professionalizing influence on both occupations, where representatives of both spheres have strong incentives to keep utilizing paid news